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The first cohort of Australian-Grown Innovation ‘Incubate’ participants was announced at a Hort Connections breakfast in Brisbane in early June. This follows the launch of the program in March this year, which saw 72 participants from across the horticulture supply chain involved in engagement sessions held around the country.
The ‘Incubate’ cohort, which is made up of 14 growers, will participate in a six-week program designed to offer hands-on support via workshops and mentoring that will refine their inventions, and help understand market desirability and competition before bringing their products and services to life in a third ‘Build’ phase.
The new Hort Innovation initiative has been designed to drive innovation, working alongside levy funded initiatives, to tackle the most pressing challenges in horticulture and offer participants insights into global best practice in their areas of innovation.
In partnership with Startupbootcamp and Cluster Connect, the announcement at Hort Connections revealed the members of the project’s inaugural cohort.
Cohort participants
- ATEK Integrated Engineering, NSW
- Pectin 360, NSW
- Organic AG, NT
- Bowen Gumlu Growers Association, QLD
- SMA Marketing, QLD
- Fresh Produce Safety Centre ANZ, QLD
- Swaggie, QLD
- REKO Australia, QLD
- Sunnybrae Farm, QLD
- Bureau of Meteorology, QLD
- Corporate Roses, SA
- Macro Group Australia, SA
- Ace Apples, VIC
- The Bee Buddy, WA
Brett Fifield, CEO at Hort Innovation, expressed his congratulations to the group.
“We are thrilled to welcome 14 participants to the first cohort of the Australian-Grown Innovation Incubate program,” he said.
“We launched this program as we know growers identify incredibly effective solutions to some of the biggest challenges we face as an industry, but don’t often have the support required to bring their solution to life.
“There are lots of industry-changing theories being explored in this first cohort, and we look forward to supporting the participants in bringing their ideas to life.”
Anna Barlow, Food and Agriculture Innovation Partner at Startupbootcamp, said the initial stage of the project will help growers develop their ideas, before the next stage brings them to life.
“We are excited by the combination of horticulture industry challenges and potential solutions the cohort will explore through the Incubate stage of the Australian-Grown Innovation program and seeing how we can support the cohort to validate their ideas,” she said.
“Following the Incubate stage, growers will have the opportunity to progress their ideas to a Build phase, which is a 12-week structured mentoring program to develop
a test version of their idea and trial it in a real-world market environment.”
This program will run over the next five years. Those wishing to participate can learn more or sign up at frontiers.au/agi
Incubate Participants of interest to the vegetable industry
Ace Apples
Mark Trzaskoma, VIC
FRONTIERS THEMES
Healthy Living, Market Growth, Capability Building, Disruptive Technologies
INDUSTRY
Apple, Nut, Vegetables
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Ace Apples is a B2B digital platform that unites fruit, nut, and vegetable growers to improve marketing, education, and supply chain transparency through QR-coded produce.
The Bee Buddy
Jessica Brunner, WA
FRONTIERS THEMES
Adaptation & Resilience, Capability Building, Disruptive Technologies
INDUSTRY
All
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
The Bee Buddy is an all-in-one modular hive system making safe, affordable, and biosecure beekeeping accessible to families and future pollinators.
Bowen Gumlu Growers Association
Jenn Honnery, QLD
FRONTIERS THEMES
Adaptation & Resilience, Market Growth, Capability Building
INDUSTRY
Capsicum, Mango, Tomato
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Bowen Gumlu Growers Association transforms waste produce into nutrient-rich freeze-dried ingredients and bioactives, helping food manufacturers and nutraceutical companies source premium, Australian-grown inputs.
Bureau of Meteorology
Rachel Davis, QLD
FRONTIERS THEMES
Adaptation & Resilience, Disruptive Technologies
INDUSTRY
All
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
The Bureau of Meteorology provides impact-based forecasts that translate weather and climate data into clear biosecurity risk insights, helping farmers and advisors make informed, timely decisions.
Fresh Produce Safety Centre ANZ
Farzana Adams
FRONTIERS THEMES
Healthy Living, Adaptation & Resilience, Capability Building
INDUSTRY
All
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Fresh Produce Safety Centre offers a mobile-friendly, visual food safety guide that helps growers easily understand and comply with regulations, boosting confidence and audit readiness.
Reko Australia
Jacki Hinchey
FRONTIERS THEMES
Healthy Living, Adaptation & Resilience, Market Growth, Disruptive Technologies
INDUSTRY
All
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
REKO Australia empowers small-scale food producers to sell directly to local communities through low-cost, Facebook based pre-order pickup rings, boosting regional food culture and reducing market risks.
Swaggie
James Wills, QLD
FRONTIERS THEMES
Capability Building, Disruptive Technologies
INDUSTRY
All
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Swaggie is a workforce platform that simplifies hiring for farmers by connecting them with available workers quickly, reducing the time and hassle of finding labour.
Macro Group Australia
Corina Javier, SA
FRONTIERS THEMES
Adaptation & Resilience, Market Growth
INDUSTRY
Potential for Capsicum, Nursery, Chilli
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
Macro Group Australia is developing a rapid test kit for early and accurate detection of tomato rugose fruit virus and related infections in tomatoes, capsicum, and chili crops, helping growers protect yields and reduce losses.
Australian-Grown Innovation is funded through Hort Innovation Frontiers with co-investment from Startupbootcamp and contributions from the Australian Government.